Disposable exhaust filter



Nov. 12, 1963 DE RoY slMPsoN 3,110,582

DIsPosABLE EXHAUST FILTER Filed Nov. v, 1961 Fig. 2

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United States Patent O 3,110,582 DISPOSABLE EXHAUST FILTER De RoySimpson, 817 29th St., Oakland 8, Calif. Filed Nov. 7, 1961, Ser. No.150,757 2. Claims. (Cl. 55-446) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in filters for use particularly but by no meansnecessarily, in restaurant, home and .other forced air exhaust systems.

Substantially all filters presently in use in restaurant exhaust systemsare of the washable type and of rather expensive construction. Thesefilters, although heavy and difficult to handle, must be periodicallyremoved, washed and replaced. Accordingly, it is the primary object ofthe present invention to provide an exhaust, etc., filter whereindisposal after a single installation or use is economically feasible.

Another highly important object of the invention is to provide adisposable lter of the aforementioned character which may be fabricatedin a novel manner from a suitable material which is inherentlyabsorbent, fire-resistant and readily available such as, -for example,asbestos.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide,in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a disposable, one-time use exhaustilter of `the character described which may be of any suitable size orcapacity and which, further, may be readily installed in single ormultiple units as may be required.

Another object of the invention is to provide a disposable exhaust ilterof the character set forth which is adapted to be expeditiouslyinstalled in any suitable frame or holder.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a disposable filter whichwill be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable and ofrigid construction, compact, of light weight and which may be marketedat low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accomv panying drawing forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a view in front elevation of a disposable exhaust filterconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view in transverse section on an enlargedscale, taken substantially on the line 2-2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view vin horizontal section on an enlargedscale, taken substantially on the line 3'-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view in transverse sec- Ition through thedevice, showing the iiow of air therethrough.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that theembodiment of the present invention which has been illustrated comprisesa generally rectangular frame 5 of `suitable dimensions. Mountedvertically in -the frame 5 are series of spaced, opposed baffles 6. Itwill be noted that the front balles 6 are `spaced inwardly from thefront of the frame 5 and that the rear baiiles 6 are flush with the rearof said frame.

The bales 6 include right angularly bent upper flaps or flanges 7 theuppermost of which are adhered to the top 8 of the frame 5 and endflanges 9 which are adhered to the end members 10 of said frame. Thebafes 6 further comprise lower flanges 11 which are folded on themselvesto interlock with the flanges 7 of the subjacent battles to which theyare adhered. As shown to advan-VA tage in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, thebight portions of the U-shaped anges 11 abut and are adhered -to the ICCopposed lower portions of the adjacent baiiles as at 12. in a manner toprovide a rigid lunitary structure.

'I'he baiiies 6 comprising the flanges 7, 9 and 11 define plenums 13 inthe frame 5. Vertically staggered longitudinally elongated openings orslots 14 in the bales 6 communicate the plenums 13 for the zigzag ortortuous flow of streams of air to be decontaminated through the device.

Itis thought that the use of the invention will be readily apparent froma consideration of the foregoing. The complete device including theframe 5 is made of a suitable absorbent, reproof or fire-resistantmaterial which does not deteriorate when saturated with grease, cookingoils, etc. 'Ihe device is installed in the intake end portion of anexhaust duct to cleanse the air before it passes therethrough. Asindicated by the arrows in FIGURE 4 of the drawing, the air lows throughthe unit in a multiplicity of zigzag or tortuous paths. Thus, the air iscaused to impinge or wipe against the multiple surfaces of the baflles 6which extract and absorb the grease, food particles and other foreignmatter therefrom in an obvious manner. The construction and arrangementof the ldevice is such that air passing therethrough undergoes severalchanges in velocity as well as in direction thereby creating turbulencein the filter for causing the air to contact -the absorbent surfacesrepeatedly. While the openings or slots 14 are small enough to causedecreases in the velocity of the air as it enters the successiveplenums, said slots are also sufficiently large to avoid clogging bylint and other material usually found in the air. The interlockingflanges 11 of the lowermost baffles 6 are adhered to the bottom member15 of the lframe 5. When the device becomes saturated or substantiallyso it is simply removed and discarded and a new or fresh unit isinstalled.

It is believed that the many advantages of a disposable filterconstructed in accordance -with the present invention will be readilyunderstood and although a preferred embodiment of the device is asillustrated and described, it is to be -understood that changes in thedetails of construction and in the combination and arrangement of partsmay be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention asclaimed. For example, the material may be of a waffle design forincreased eiciency. Also, in

lieu of an inherently absorbent material such as asbestos, the unit maybe made of an even less expensive material having on the surfacesthereof a viscous or sticky coating.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A panel-like air lter adapted to be disposed in an airstream with themedial plane of the filter extending transversely of said air stream,said filter comprising a plurality of horizontally spaced and verticallyextending reaches of vertically stacked and horizontally elongatedupright baffles, corresponding baies of adjacent reaches being generallyhorizontally aligned, each of said bales having a plurality ofhorizontally elongated openings 4for-med therein at points spacedlongitudinally therealong, the openings in each reach of bailles beingdisposed adjacent one of the upper and lower edge portions thereof andthe openings in adjacent reaches of bales being inversely positionedrelative to the corresponding ones of said upper and lower edgeportions, corresponding openings in each reach of baflies being insubstantial vertical alignment and corresponding ones of Ithe openingsin corresponding bafes being disposed in the same vertical planeextending transversely through said filter, the upper edges of the lowerset of openings in corresponding ones of said bales being spaced belowthe lower edges of the upper set of openings and the correspondingbaliles of the adjacent reaches of baiiles, and the vertical extent ofsaid openings being less than the spacing between adjacent ones of saidreaches.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said baflles terminate at theirlower ends in right angulated lower anges extending longitudinallythereof, projecting outwardly therefrom a distance equal to the spacingbetween said reaches, and terminating in reversely bent portions attheir free ends slightly vertically spaced from the corresponding rightangulated anges and defining therebetween horizontally disposed channelsopening rearwardly in the direction in which the right angulated flangeseX- tend outwardly ffrom said `batles, said baes terminating at theirupper ends in right angulated upper lianges extending longitudinallythereof and projecting outwardly therefrom a distance equal to the spacebetween said reaches, lthe free ends of said upper anges being seatedand secured in the corresponding channels, the bent portions connectingsaid right angulated and reversely bent cured to the upper edge portionsof the corresponding baffles.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,621,026 P'ukerud Mar. 15, 1927 2,214,750 Myers Sept. 17, 19402,720,938 Cates Oct. 18, 1955 2,926,747 Wright et al. Mar. 1, 1960FOREIGN PATENTS 234,516 Great Britain Feb. 18, 1926 281,066 Germany Dec.12, 1914 302,071 Great Britain Dec. 13, 1928 309,116 Germany Sept. 30,1919

1. A PANEL-LIKE AIR FILTER ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED IN AN AIRSTREAM WITHTHE MEDIAL PLANE OF THE FILTER EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID AIRSTREAM, SAID FILTER COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED ANDVERTICALLY EXTENDING REACHES OF VERTICALLY STACKED AND HORIZONTALLYELONGATED UPRIGHT BAFFLES, CORRSPONDING BAFFLES OF ADJACENT REACHESBEING GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED, EACH OF SAID BAFFLES HAVING APLURALITY OF HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED OPENINGS FORMED THEREIN AT POINTSSPACED LONGITUDINALLY THEREALONG, THE OPENINGS IN EACH REACH OF BAFFLESBEING DISPOSED ADJACENT ONE OF THE UPPER AND LOWER EDGE PORTIONS THEREOFAND THE OPENINGS IN ADJACENT REACHES OF BAFFLES BEING INVERSELYPOSITIONED RELATIVE TO THE CORRESPONDING ONES OF